Lisbeth Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I know that some people use rocks, or various weights, or even end up planting entire pots. Being new and not really knowing what I was doing, I ended up improvising. I took some invisible nylon thread, lightly tied it to my stems, and then tied the other remaining end to a plastic wall anchor that people usually use for putting screws into walls. I pushed this anchor into the substrate with the plant, and viola, it stayed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Plants are tougher than most people think. Remove leaves for the bottom 2 inches and just shove that into your substrate. Regarding substrate something that has nutrient is the best kind to have. If you wanted tips/advice/help just shoot me a pm, I'd be happy to offer a hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmcgill Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I agree with ck, probably because he taught me, LOL: just stick them down into the substrate. I haven't had any trouble with stems (even small, skinny, rootless ones) coming out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted December 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Ooh, awesome! For the most part my plants were sticking into the soil without any extra assistance. I've got between 2-3 inches of fine grain eco-complete in my one tank (it's a little light, so that was probably part of my problem). When I tried to plant a thicker-stemmed Alternanthera Reineckii though, it kept on popping up no matter what I tried. Which led me to anchoring it down with a wall anchor. :P It's nice to know that people don't usually have many problems with things floating up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I leave the leaves on and burry the bottom 2 or 3 - I find they help keep the plant down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Plant weights, I like them as they help keep the plants separate too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmcgill Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Plant weights, I like them as they help keep the plants separate too.Where do you get said plant weights? Curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Most lfs have them.. or some bunch plants come with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmcgill Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Hmmm, the lead-like thingies that I threw away after removing them from my bunches of stem plants...? Oops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 skip the lead if that is the weight who wants something poisonous in a tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frogfish Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 You could let the stems float free for a while until they develop roots then plant them in the substrate or like Jvision mentioned I find that leaving the lower leaves or a portion of will help anchor the stem long enough for it to develop roots. I tried weights like the ones that come with plants purchased at the lfs and gave up as the plants stems would eventually rot around the weight and end up floating after a few weeks, at best I found it to be a temporary solution that in the end inhibited the desired result of rooting stems. Cutting off the lower leaves will however help promote cell differentiation and division which may in turn reduce the time it takes for roots to develop. Plants are really cool that way that when tissues are damaged the cells surrounding the damaged area have the ability to divide and grow into cells of a different kind to replace what the plant needs. This basically explains why most plant species are easily propagated by tissue culture as all that is required is a single cell to make an entire new plant. Another example would be if you topped a tree which is utterly stupid, the tree would respond by growing suckers to replace the leaf mass lost from being mutilated/topped. Kind of a long winded answer to a simple question but I felt compelled to share some of the horticulture science related to the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishclubgirl Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 This was interesting topic as it showed that we all have various ways of anchoring our plants and it works well for all of us(even if I am poisoning my fish,lol....) So if using fishing line and wall anchors works for you, kudos!! Sometimes there is no right or wrong way when keeping tanks but the way that works best for us and we all could learn from keeping an open mind for new ideas!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frogfish Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 Whatever works really. That's the great thing about this forum is the sharing of information and ideas. Half the fun is learning and trying new tricks until you find a method that best suits your needs and patience. Sometimes you have to be patient and stubborn to replant the same stem daily for weeks until it finally decides to take hold. As for moss and rhizomes like anubias elastic bands and sewing thread or fishing line works wonders for attaching to rock and wood if you don't have a glue gun which I learned from AA is also an effective method for anchoring to hardscape elements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmcgill Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 As a newbie, thanks to those who are willing to share their knowledge and experience! The learning curve is steep, but it sure helps to learn from others who have 'been there, done that.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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